Election brings out the ethanol

Search for an energy expert seeking solutions to our need for becoming energy independent and you will be hard pressed to find one that supports ethanol.

Ethanol made from corn for use in gasoline and billed as a way to reduce oil consumption and combat global warming is a fraud. Ethanol diverts crops from human use and increases food prices, uses serious amounts of energy in its production that result in carbon dioxide emissions and climate change and can damage some cars and emit toxic pollutants.

It is hard to find a gas station that sells ethanol, especially the ethanol product for special vehicles that is 85 percent. Also, ethanol can reduce fuel mileage, about two miles per gallon for a car that gets 25 miles to a gallon.

But every time there is an election, the candidates from farm states start loudly singing its praises. Politicos say it is impossible to be elected president of the United States without supporting ethanol.

And, surprise of surprises, the Obama administration has given a present to the ethanol industry just 20 days before the crucial November elections. The Environmental Protection Agency said it is taking steps to permit 15 percent of ethanol in gasoline instead of 10 percent for cars made after 2006 in response to a petition from the industry submitted in March of 2009.

For 2007 and later model cars, this won't be a problem. But for older model cars the use of that much ethanol could damage seals. (Gasoline with 10 percent ethanol is OK for cars and trucks.)

The government's advice? Read the labels on gas pumps if you have an older car and avoid those marked E15 starting sometime next year. Yeah, right. To avoid confusion for consumers, some stations could choose to install new E15-only pumps — at a cost of about $20,000 and $100,000 for a separate underground tank.

The EPA says it is still deciding whether it will approve E15 gasoline for use in cars manufactured before 2007, which are more susceptible to damage.

Bottom line is that ethanol doesn't make economic or even environmental sense. But Congress, still dominated by grain-state politicians, keeps mandating more use of ethanol and special treatment for it.

Ethanol started off as a way to help farmers — and who doesn't want to help our farmers? — by spurring corn production. But corn prices right now are so high that food companies are lobbying against ethanol because the competition from ethanol producers will drive prices even higher. Even farmers are rethinking their support as animal feed prices rise. Consumers could see the price of hamburger rise.

Now the ethanol industry, not satisfied with the E15 waiver or Obama's shirtsleeves visit to a Midwest ethanol production facility, is pushing renewal of tax incentives for ethanol production. Obama, hailing from the farm state of Illinois, says he wants to triple ethanol production over the next 12 years.

There is no doubt that we must reduce our dependence on oil from the Middle East. But experiments such as ethanol have failed. Even the ethanol industry, led by such giants (and big campaign donors) as Archer Daniels Midland Co., admits that without federal mandates and incentives, the industry will not thrive. But, hey, it's an election year. Long live ethanol!